Rotary engine.



No. 823,821. I PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

J. L. STRIGKLAND. I

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 9. 1905.

SSHEETS-SHEET 1..

l; cZ/wLSlmZh/Za. Witnesses: V -lnventor, @w qw By Attorneys No. 823,821. PATENTBD JUNE 19, 1906.

J. L. STRIGKLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 9 1905 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J/MfAS/HMMM 'Witnesses:

Inventor,

Attorneys PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

J. L. STRIOKLAND. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 9 1905.

8 SHEETS-BHEET 3.

Inventor,

By I

' Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JAMES LOCKE STRIOKLAND, or WESTPORT, CAN-ADA, ASSIGN'OR OF FIFTY-ONE ONE-HUNDREDTHS ro HARRY RICHARDS MoLELLAN,

OF ST. JOHNS, CANADA.

ROTARY ENGIINIE,

Specification of Letters Iatent.

A li ti fil d November 9, 1905. Serial 110.286.4841

Patented'June 19, 1906..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JA ES LOCKE STRIGK- LAND, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Westport, county of Digby, in the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rotary engines.

The object of my invention is to provide an engine of few movable parts inwhich the friction is reduced to a minimum; and my invention consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as herein illustrated, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, I have illustrated one form of embodiment of my invention, in

. which drawings similar reference'characters .pistons. Ltion through the cylinders, showing the pisdesignate corresponding parts, and in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a "plan view. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section showing the interior construction of the cylinders and the arrangement of the Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectons in elevation. Fig. 5 isa vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 is a fragmen- 'tary detail, in side elevation,showing the bearing for one side of the cylinders and the piston-shaft. Fig. 7 is a verticalsection on line 7 7 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the four pistons used in the engine. Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 2

looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the main "bearing of the engine, showing the arrangement of cylinders on each side thereof. Fig.

1 1 is a fragmentary detail, in front elevation, of i one of the piston-heads.

Fig. 12 is an edge elevation of one of the piston-heads, the'packing being removed; and Fig. 13 is a vertical section through the steam-chest of the engine.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a bed-plate having on one end a bearing 2. Disposed in the bearing 2 is a main shaft 3,

' sup ly-pipe 8.

which is also supported by the main bearing 4, carried by the bed+plate 1. Disposed on the opposite sides'ofthe main bearing 4 are cylinders 5 and 6, and disposed. above the main bearing is a steam-chest 7, having a The steam-chest is provided wit a plurality of ports 9, to which are connected the ipes l0 and ll, the pipe. 10 connecting wit the cylinder 5- and the pipell The steamchest 7 is provided with an exhaust-port 12, to which is connected an exhaust-pipe 13. Disposed in the steam-chest is a slide-valve 14, adapted to cover one of the outlet-ports 9 and the exhaust-port 12 and has connected thereto avalve-rod 15 for the purpose of actuating the valve to the desired position.

Disposed in the cylinder 5 is a cylinder 16,

and disposed in the cylinder 6 is 'a cylinder 17, suitable packing-rings 18 being disposed around each of the cylinders 16 and 17 to make a steam-tight connection. in each of the cylinders 5 and 6 are springs 19, adapted to thrust against the inner ends of the cylinders 16 and 17, so that a slight play is permitted. Connecting the cylinders.

5 and 6 is a ring 20, having passages 21 communicating with the cylinders 16 and 17 and having elongated slots 22 communicating with the passages 21. Secured on the shaft 3 is a plate 23, provided with four slots 25,-

communicating with radially-disposed steampassages 26. Secured to the plate 23 are a plurality of disks 27, connected by webs 28, provided with chambers 29, forming the cylinders of the engine. Adjacent the outer ends of the chambers 29 are openings 30, commu- Dispo ed nicating with'the passages 26, suitable packing 31 being placed round each openingintermediate of the disks 27 and the plate 23. Disposed on theside of one of the-disks 27 opposite to the plate 23 is a disk 32, suitable packing 33 being interposed between the disk 27 and the disk 32 to make a steam-tight fitting; The disk 32 is provided with a flange 34 and provided with a central opening 35,

registering with an opening 27 in the adjacent disk 27, in which opening 35 is disposed a bearing 36, secured by bolts 37 to a pedestal 38, which pedestal is disposed on the bed-plate 1. Disposed through the bearing TOO 36 is a steam-pipe 39, connecting with the boiler and an exhaust-pipe 39 and a suitable packing-ring 40 is disposed between the bearing 36 and the flange 34 of the outside disk 32.

Carried by the bearing 36 and projecting within the space between the disks 27 is a shaft 41. Dlsposed in each of the chambers 29 is a piston-head 42, and each piston-head has secured thereto a rod 43, the end of which is pivotally mounted on the shaft 41. The chambers 29 are preferably square in crosssection, and each of the piston-heads 42 comprises the plates 44, (see Figs. 11 and 12,) between which are disposed four movable sections 45 of packing, the packing being actuated outwardly against the sides of the chambers 29 by means of the helical springs 46, whose inner ends are disposed in openings 47 in the squared outer ends of the rods 43. Rotation of the shaft 3 is produced by pressure of the steam against the sides of the chambers 29, the area of the chambers being different, owing to the disposition of the pis ton-heads 42, the shaft 41 being placed eccentric to the shaft 3.

Steam being admitted through the pipe 1 1, it passes into the cylinder 6, thence through one of the passages 21 and one of the slots 22 into one of the steam-passages 26, and thence into one of the chambers 29, causing rotation of the cylinders 29 and the consequent oscillation of the piston-heads 42, which are secured to the shaft 41. Steam is exhausted from the cylinder 29 through the passage 26, out of the slots 22, and into the cylinder 5, and from thence to the steam-chest. When one pair of the slots 25 register with the slots 22, steam is admitted to the chambers 29, and rotation of the cylinders in one direction is caused, so that if the slide-valve 14 is moved to cover the opposite port 9 the steam will be admitted through the pipe uncovered and the movement of the cylinders 29 will be reversed. When steam is admitted through the cylinder 5 into the cylinders 29 through the passages described, it should be understood that the exhaust is through the corresponding passages on the exhaust side and into the cylinder 6, the slots 22 being two in number and being placed in the samehorizontal plane, the passages 26 leading to the cylinders 29 being successively uncovered by rotation of the parts. The shaft 31 being placed eccentric to the shaft 3 and the disks 27 being revolved with the shaft 3, it is evident that the piston-heads 42 must be oscillated by this movement, thereby changing the area of the chambers on which the steam exerts power. The thrust of the steam against the plates 27 being toward the left hand of Fig. 1, steam from the boiler is admitted through the pipe 39 to counterbalance the thrust, and the pipe 39 permits the exhaust of this steam when the steam in the cylinders 29 is exhausted, the friction of the thrust being materially lessened by this relief.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a plurality of bearings on the bed-plate, a shaft disposed in the bearings, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft, a bearing for the cylinders, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, means for exhausting steam from the cylinders, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders, and means for overcoming the thrust of the shaft.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a main bearing on the bed-plate, a pair of cylinders carried on the main bearing, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, a ring connecting the cylinders and provided with steam-passages terminating in slots, a ring secured on the shaft and provided with steam-passages adapted to register with the slots, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft in connection with the steam-passages, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders on the shaft, and means for overcoming the thrust of the shaft.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a main bearing on the bed-plate, a pair of cylinders carried on the main bearing, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, a ring connecting the cylinders and provided with steam-passages terminatingin a pair of slots arranged in the same horizontal plane, a ring secured on the shaft and provided with four steampassages, two of which are adapted to register with the slots at the same time, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft and provided with ports communicating with the steam-passages, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders on the shaft, and means for overcoming the thrust of the shaft.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a main bearing on the bed-plate, a pair of cylinders carried on the main bearing, means for admitting steam. to the cylinders, a ring connecting the cylinders and provided with steam-passages terminating in slots, a ring secured on the shaft and provided with steam-passages adapted to register with the slots in the ring, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft in connection with said steam-passages, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders on the shaft each comprising a pair of plates, packing arranged in sections disposed between the plates, and means for actuating the packing outward, and means for overcoming the thrust of the shaft.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a shaft, a ring secured to the shaft and provided with steam-passages, a plurality 1 3233521 I W Y y I ofcylinders secured to the ring and provided with ports communicating with said steame pistons, oscillating passages disposed in the cylinders each comprising a plurality of plates, packing, arranged in sections between said plates, and springs disposed behind said packing and adapted to actuate the same outwardly, means for admitting steam to said passages, and means for balancing the thrust of the shaft.

- 6. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a plurality'of-bearingson one end of the bed-plate, a shaft rotatably disposed in the bearings, a disk on the shaft, a second disk provided with a web connected to the-disk on theshaft, said web bein formed with cylinders, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders, and means for balancing the thrust; of the shaft.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a plurality of bearings on one end of the-bed-plate, a main shaft disposed in the bearings, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, a disk secured to the cylinders and provided with a flanged opening, a bearing disposed in the opening and secured tothe bed-plate, and means for balancing the thrust of the shaft. J

8. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a plurality of bearings on one end of the bed-plate, a main shaft disposed in the bearings, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, a disk secured to the cylinders and provided with a flanged opening, a bearing disposed in the opening and secured to the bed-plate, a shaft secured to the bearings, a plurality of rods pivotally mounted on the shaft and connected to the pistons, and means for balancing the thrust of the shaft.

9. In 'a rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a plurality of bearings on one end of the bed-plate, a main shaft disposed in the'bearings, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders, means for admitting steamto the cylinders, a disk secured to the cylinders and'provided with a flanged opening, a bearing disposed in the opening and secured to the bedplate, a shaft secured, to'the bearings eccentric to the main shaft, a plurality of rods pivotally mounted on the I shaft and connected to the pistons, and means for balancing the thrust of the shaft.

' 10. In arotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, a plurality of bear ings on one end of the bed-plate, a main shaft disposed in the bearings, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft, oscillating pistons disposed in the cylinders, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, a disk secured to the cylinders and provided with a flanged opening, a bearing disposed in the opening and secured to the bed-plate, a shaft secured to the bearings,,a plurality of rods pivotally mounted on the shaft and connected to the pistons, an inlet-pipe, and an exhaust-pipe disposed through said bearing.

11. Ina rotary engine, the combination comprising a bed-plate, bearings on the bed- .plate, a shaft disposed in-the bearings, a plurality of cylinders carried by one of the bear-- ings, a plurality of cylinders disposed in the first cylinders, packing-rings and springs interposed between said cylinders, means for admitting steam to the cylinders, a plurality of cylinders rotatable with the shaft, means for admitting steam to the rotatable cylinders, oscillating pistons disposed in the rotatable cylinders, and means for balancing the thrust of the shaft. I

12. In a rotary engine, the combination comprising a shaft, a pair of cylinders disposed adjacent the shaft, a ring disposed around the shaft and provided with a pair of cylinders disposed within the first cylinders, a disk secured on the shaft and provided with steampassages, said ring being provided with I steam-passages connecting with the disk and the cylinders, a plurality of cylinders secured on the shaft in connection with the steam-passages in the disk, passages in i the cylinder, and means for balan'cing the thrust of the shaft.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES LOOKE STRIOKLAND.

Witnesses FRANCIS KERR, H. A. MoKEowN. 

